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La cassuola o zuppa di pesce (seafood soup)
Serves 4 Starters and mains
Ingredients
- 1kg mixed fish and shellfish, such as clams, mussels, crayfish, squid, cuttlefish, gurnard and stone bass
- 1 shallot or 1⁄2 white onion
- 2 large garlic cloves
- 6 anchovy fillets
- 1tbsp capers, drained
- handful of parsley
- 1⁄2 red chilli, or according to taste
- 6tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 1tbsp tomato purée
- 100g canned chopped tomatoes or fresh tomatoes, roughly chopped
- 300ml good-quality fish stock or water (hot)
- 4 slices white crusty bread, toasted
Method
Pick over the shellfish,
discarding any open or broken
shells. Drop clams, if using, into
a bowl from a 15cm height so
that any that are open and dead
or full of sand will split open and
can be discarded. Clean any
barnacles off mussels, if using,
and pull off the beards, and
discard any that don’t close.
Cut any fish into 4cm cubes and
cut squid or cuttlefish, if using,
into 1cm rings or pieces. Set all
the seafood aside.
Put the shallot or onion, 1 garlic clove, the anchovies, capers, parsley and chilli on a board and finely chop everything using a large knife. Heat the oil in a heavy-based casserole dish, add the onion and anchovy mixture with a good pinch of salt and black pepper and cook over a low heat for 10 minutes. Add the tomato purée, then stir in the tomatoes.
If using squid and cuttlefish, season with salt and add to the pan. Pour in the hot fish stock or water and cook for around 15 minutes, then add the remaining fish. After 15 minutes, add the shellfish.
Cook for a further 5–10 minutes until all the shells have opened, discarding any that haven’t. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary.
Rub the toasted bread lightly with the remaining garlic and lay 1 slice in each serving bowl. Pour the soup over the top and serve immediately.
This recipe featured in the July 2022 issue of Food and Travel. To subscribe, click here.
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